Software & Apps - Page 3
All the latest software and app news covering new and upcoming releases from Microsoft Windows updates, to Apple apps, through to the way we use apps daily - Page 3.
President Trump names the company currently in talks to save TikTok
The fate of TikTok currently stands upon the edge of a knife, and if it strays but a little, it will fail, to the ruin of 170 million users across the United States.
TikTok is currently in limbo as the US government initiated the ban of the app, citing national security reasons as lawmakers found the app could be used to harvest the data of the 170 million Americans that use it and feed that data to the Chinese government. TikTok was given an ultimatum by the US government with a deadline of January 19.
That ultimatum was to sell the app to a US government-verified entity or be banned from both app marketplaces and US telecommunications services. The January 19 deadline was reached, and TikTok was briefly made unavailable in the US for approximately 16 hours.
Continue reading: President Trump names the company currently in talks to save TikTok (full post)
Google Maps confirms its renaming the Gulf of Mexico, but for only some users
Google has responded to the recent declaration by President Trump that the Gulf of Mexico will be renamed to the Gulf of America.
One of the first things President Trump did once he entered office was to declare the Gulf of Mexico was to be renamed to the Gulf of America, and now Google has announced it will comply with Trump's new naming scheme as the search conglomerate states it will abide by official government sources for all its naming of locations, as it has done in the past. Google took to X, where it wrote that it had received many questions regarding the name change, and that it has a "longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."
Moreover, Google explained it uses the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) as its source for naming locations, which is the US government's official source for geographic names. Trump's executive order gives a 30-day deadline for the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, along with the renaming of Denali to Mount McKinley. Google states once the change has been lodged in the GNIS the change will be reflected in Google Maps. However, there's a caveat.
Google keeps recommending ads that will steal your bank data
The state of web search algorithms are in an interesting state in 2025. AI search summaries headline a good chunk of search results, and the internet is becoming increasingly dominated by AI-generated content.
However, a new threat to look out for has emerged: in the form of sponsored links in search results that contain cURL commands to malware. In this instance, the case involved the software package management tool 'Homebrew', for which users were being served ads that seemingly displayed the correct URL, but redirected users to a malicious link.
Canadian web developer Ryan Chenkie took to X to highlight the discrepancy, urging developers to exercise caution when installing the tool. As reported by Digital Trends, the scam works through a strategy called URL cloaking. Malicious actors create thousands of accounts simultaneously and use text manipulation and cloaking techniques to evade detection. They show reviewers and automated systems safe-looking websites, while regular visitors are redirected to malicious dummy sites
Continue reading: Google keeps recommending ads that will steal your bank data (full post)
YouTuber makes tool to debloat Windows in just 2 clicks
Installing a fresh version of Windows means installing a bunch of Microsoft apps and services that are typically quite useless or, at the very least, unnecessary. These apps and services are commonly referred to as "Windows bloatware," and manually removing each of them during or after Windows installation can be time-consuming and annoying. But what if there was a tool that could do it all for you in just a few clicks?
YouTuber and developer "TotallyNotK0," along with his team of developers at Raven, have created a new tool called "Talon" that's designed to streamline the removal process of all Windows bloatware. The new tool isn't ready for public release, but the above video demonstrates how it works and the effectiveness of removing unwanted software. The video shows users will need to turn off Windows Defender to run the software, and once it's run, users will be presented with the below screen asking, "What will you use this device for?" -- along with several options.
Users can select "Barebones, Gaming, Student, Professional, and Expert" versions of the automation, and each of these options removes the same amount of bloatware but is differentiated by the additional software Raven will install. For example, selecting "Gaming" will install the following applications: Discord, Steam, EA App, OBS, Spotify, and Emulation Station, along with removing any Windows bloatware. After selecting an option, Raven will begin the debloating process, and users can watch the removal of programs and software by pressing the Windows key and viewing their program list. After the process is complete, Raven will request that the PC conduct a restart.
Continue reading: YouTuber makes tool to debloat Windows in just 2 clicks (full post)
Bluesky and X's bids to become TikTok scream more 'Threads' than anything
Amidst the recent Tiktok fiasco, Bluesky and X are the latest platforms to throw their hat in the ring to replace the short-form streaming giant - releasing a series of new features in a bid to entice users to their platforms.
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We've seen this pattern before with Threads, where Meta quickly rolled out their own Twitter-like app with the hope of capitalizing on the instability following Elon Musk's acquisition of X, formerly Twitter. This strategy worked - for maybe a week. Until people eventually reverted back to platforms that were actually designed for this functionality.
MrBeast might become TikTok's new CEO after putting in his 'final offer'
Jimmy Donaldson, otherwise known as MrBeast, has announced he's submitted an offer to purchase the popular video posting platform TikTok, with the famed YouTube saying that he may soon become the platform's new CEO.
The announcement that he may become TikTok's new CEO comes only days after MrBeast posted a video with his lawyer claiming that he recently finished a business meeting with a "bunch of billionaires" about acquiring funding for the app. Now, MrBeast has posted a new video of him on a private jet, saying that he is about to submit his "final offer" for the platform and that if accepted, he could become the new CEO. As for what MrBeast is offering, TikTok owner ByteDance hasn't been disclosed, but Donaldson did say the offer was "crazy".
For those that don't know, TikTok was briefly banned across the US after the deadline was reached on the ultimatum given to ByteDance regarding the operation of the app in the US. The US government declared TikTok a threat to national security in April last year, citing the app's ties to the Chinese government and the risk for approximately 170 million Americans to have their data funneled to an adversarial nation.
TikTok officially given new timed lifeline by President Trump
TikTok has been thrown a lifeline by President Trump who signed an executive order on Monday that delays the banning of the popular app by two and a half months.
The ByteDance-owned video-sharing app has gone through quite a bit over the last week as millions of users began posting videos to the platform saying their goodbyes to viewers in preparation for TikTok's ban scheduled to take place on January 19. The ban came after a 270-day process where its owners, ByteDance, were given the ultimatum to sell the app to a US government-verified entity or have it removed from both app marketplaces and banned from Internet Service Provider (ISP) across the US.
A deal wasn't struck, and as a result, TikTok went dark for approximately 16 hours but quickly became available again a day before Trump was sworn into his Presidency as the former and now current president indicated he was going to sign an executive order extending the enforcement of the ban. That executive order has now been signed by Trump, which gives ByteDance an additional 75 days to reach a deal with the US government. Trump suggested the US could own 50% of TikTok, which would enable the US government to take a look under the hood of the app and monitor it for nefarious activity.
Continue reading: TikTok officially given new timed lifeline by President Trump (full post)
Instagram moves to capitalize on TikTok ban with release of new app
The United States government briefly banned the popular video-sharing app TikTok after the deadline given to TikTok's owner, ByteDance, was reached.
The banning of TikTok dates back to April last year when the US Senate enacted a new law that categorized TikTok as a national security threat. US lawmakers found TikTok to be a threat to the safety of millions of Americans due to its ties to the Chinese government and the potential for the data of approximately 170 million Americans to be funneled to a foreign, adversarial government.
Continue reading: Instagram moves to capitalize on TikTok ban with release of new app (full post)
European regulators put X in its sights with demands to turn over its algorithm
The European Commission is bumping up its efforts into an investigation into X, formerly Twitter, as the regulator has now officially requested the social media platform hand over its algorithm for evaluation.
The EU has demanded X provide it with internal documentation on the recommendation systems used across the website to serve users' content. The request states X will need to provide documentation on any recent changes by February 15, and to go along with that, the EU also has demanded access to X's commercial APIs "that allow direct fact-finding on content moderation and virality of accounts." Furthermore, the European Commission has requested X provide it with any documentation on recent changes to the content recommendation system and any planned changes between now and the end of 2025.
Notably, the European Commission says these demands fall under Digital Services Act (DSA) proceedings that were launched against it in December 2023, which, if found guilty, could result in mass penalties against X. The Commission was queried whether these new demands were in relation to Musk's recent political maneuverings throughout the EU and the UK, to which the Commission told The Register, "These are investigatory steps that we are taking to have access to additional information ... crucial for the Commission's enforcement work to understand and analyze risk stemming from X's recommender systems."
TikTok is officially back after Trump drops the hammer on the ban in new response
TikTok was officially banned by the US government yesterday, and as a result, the popular video-sharing app went dark for approximately 24 hours. But now it's back, and it's thanks to President Trump.
After being punted the responsibility of dealing with the debacle of the TikTok ban, the popular app is officially back and available to Americans once again. For those wondering why it was briefly banned in the first place, the US government in April last year deemed the app a national security threat for its ties to the Chinese government through its owner ByteDance and the potential for the data of approximately 170 million Americans being shared with a foreign adversary.
The ban was scheduled to come into effect on January 19, and hours before the deadline, the app went dark, as millions of users shared a message they received from the app which said it's currently working with the US government on its return. It appears that work has already been done, as TikTok has made its return, with the company writing on X: